Adjustable couch with acoustical head rest

ABSTRACT

A couch comprising a bag partially filled with spherical pellets of foamed plastic and a head rest in the form of a foamed plastic block having a side exposed to the pellets within the couch bag, the shape of the couch bag being changeable by body pressure of the user whereby the spherical pellets may be caused to exert a force on the head rest to move the head rest into an upright head supporting position or into a range of inclined positions; the head rest containing speakers for the transfer of sound to a person reclining against the head rest.

United States Patent Maggs July 8, 1975 [5 ADJUSTABLE COUCH WITHACOUSTICAL g l/ f arns r l r HEAD REST 3,766,577 l0/l973 Stewart 5H2 R[76] Inventor: Richard G. Maggs, 4050 La Junta Gammon" Cahf' 91711Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg [22] Filed; O t, 9, 1973 Attorney,Agent, or FirmLyon & Lyon 21 App]. No.: 404,266 [57] ABSTRACT A couchcomprising a bag partially filled with spheri- [52] gygg ggxfg, g gi calpellets of foamed plastic and a head rest in the [51] In! A476 A47:7/114 form of a foamed plastic block having a side exposed [58] Fieid297/396 452 456 to the pellets within the couch bag, the shape of the297/460 5/12 355 couch bag being changeable by body pressure of the userwhereby the spherical pellets may be caused to [56] References Citedexert a force on the head rest to move the head rest into an uprighthead supporting position or into 3. UNITED STATES PATENTS range ofinclined positions; the head rest containing 74,340 2/[868 297/D'CI. 2peakers for the transfer of Sound to a person reclining 3,l56,500ll/l964 Kerr........ 297/396 X against the h d rest. 3,535,7l6 10/1970Greiner... 5/66 3,629,882 12/1971 Thorne 5/345 R 3 Claims, 9 DrawingFigures I ADJUSTABLE COUCH WITII ACOUSTICAL HEAD REST BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION So called bean bag" couches or pads have had substantialcommercial success. Such a couch comprises a circular bag filled oralmost filled with spherical foamed plastic particles, usually ofdifferent size varying between an eighth of an inch to a half inch indiameter. Such bags can be varied in shape by body pressure. However,this type of couch offers little or no head support and is not capable,for example, of supporting a person in an upright position to the extentof supporting the head, or providing a means for the support of soundproducing means adjacent the head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to anadjustable couch utilizing mobile pellets and is summarized in thefollowing objects.

First, to provide an adjustable couch including a bag containing mobilefoamed plastic pellets and forming a seat cushion portion and backsupporting cushion portion so constructed that a person, by applicationof body pressure, may adjust the back rest cushion por tion between anessentially horizontal position and an essentially vertical position.

Second, to provide an adjustable couch as indicated in the preceedingobject wherein the back supporting portion includes a novely arrangedhead rest cushion block which is manipulated by force exerted by the mobile pellets in response to application of body pressure.

Third, to provide an adjustable couch as indicated in the preceedingobject wherein the head rest cushion block is arranged to receive smallspeakers in such a manner as to be heard by a person resting thereonwith minimum sound dispersion outwardly from the couch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. I is a perspective view of theadjustable couch with the back portion in its raised condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof with the back portion in anintermediate position.

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof with the couch as shown in a flatcondition and indicating by broken lines, the shape of the couch in sideaspect after the footing end is raised and the mobile pellets containedtherein have been caused to flow by gravity towards the head end of thecouch prior to using the couch.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the couch corresponding to the solid lineposition of the couch shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken through S5 of FIG. 3, thewall thickness of the couch bag being exaggerated for purposes ofillustration.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken through 6-6 of FIG. 3. FIG.7 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional view taken through 7-7 of FIG. 3showing particularly the head rest and showing the head rest in itsupright position corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof taken through 8-8 of FIG.7.

FIG. 9 is a reduced developed view of the couch bag.

The adjustable couch includes a bag member 1 formed of fabric materialor plastic material or a combination of both materials. Referring toFIG. 9. the bag member includes side members 2 each having a concavemargin, a bottom member 3, back side 4, a top edge 5, a front edge 6,and a top panel 7. Except for the side members 2, other parts of the bagmember are of uniform width.

The top edge 5, the adjacent portions of the side members 2, as well asthe adjacent portions of the back side 4 and top panel 7 form a headrest compartment 8 which receives a head rest cushion block 9 comprisinga back panel I0. a center panel II, and a front panel 12. The panels areformed of a resilient foamed plastic material. the front panel beingrelatively soft while the back and center panel may be formed ofsomewhat stiffer material.

The bag member, except for the head rest compartment 8, is filled withmobile pellets I3 which may be formed of foamed plastic material. Thepellets may vary in size from an eighth of an inch in diameter tothree-eighths of an inch, the percentage of each size being selected toprovide maximum mobility. Such pellets are commonly used for thepackaging of delicate instruments. Also such pellets have been used inthe so called bean bag" cushions as well as pillows. An ap propriateopening. not shown, is provided for introduc ing the pellets into thebag member, which opening may be permanently sealed or closed by a slidefastener. Preferably, a dual slide fastener, that is an interandouterside fastener is provided, to minimize the chance that the contentsmay escape from the bag. The pellets are not packed tightly in the bag.

Operation of the adjustable couch is as follows:

One convenient way of manipulating the couch is to pick up the foot endso that the pellets move by gravity toward the head end of the couch asindicated by broken lines in FIG. 3. A person then sits on themidportion of the couch with his feet overlying the foot end. Byappropriate body movement, a depression is formed in the midportion ofthe bag member which causes the back supporting portion of the couch toarch upwardly as indicated in FIG. 2. Further manipulation causes theback portion to assume almost a vertical position as indicated in FIG.I. Similarly, by movement of the legs, the seat portion of the couch maybe manipulated for maximum comfort.

By reason of the fact that the cushion block 9 completely fills thecompartment 8, the cushion block func tions as a unit. By position ofadownward and rearward body thrust, the pellets exert a pressureindicated generally by the arrow 14 in FIG. 8 so as to tilt the headrest cushion block toward a vertical position. If the head and shouldersare pressed against the head rest block and adjacent portion of the backof the bag member, as indicated by the arrows IS, the head rest and theback portion ofthe couch may be moved from the position shown in FIG. Itoward the position shown in FIG. 2.

The head rest may serve an added purpose without interfering with theadjustment of the couch. That is, the head rest cushion block may beequipped with speakers 16. Two speakers may be provided for stereo useof four speakers for four channel use. These are positioned in pocketsformed in the lateral portions of the central head rest block. Eachspeaker opening is cov ered by a supporting wire frame 18 and the frontpanel is sufficiently thick that no discomfort results should one presshis head against the wire frame.

Having fully described my invention it is to be understood that I am notto be limited to the details herein set forth, but that my invention isof the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A couch structure, comprising:

a. a bag member including side walls of greater dimension at theircentral portions and lesser dimension at their end portions, and abotton wall, back wall, end walls and top wall of essentially uniformwidth;

b. mobile pellets contained in the bag member;

c. the bag member being dimensioned to receive a person thereon, and themobile pellets being responsive to body pressure so as to permit theupper surface of the bag member to conform to a person supportedthereon;

d. a head rest extension formed by an end wall and adjacent end portionsof the side walls, back wall and top wall of the bag member and forminga compartment exposed to the interior of the bag member;

e. and a cushion block filling the compartment and presenting an endsurface exposed to the mobile pellets whereby a varying direction offorce exerted by the pellets against the end surface of the cushionblock due to body movement on the bag member causes the head rest totilt as a unit.

2. A couch structure, as defined in claim I, wherein:

a the cushion block is formed of foamed plastic material',

b. and a pair ofspcakers are embedded therein at laterally portions ofthe central portion of the cushion.

3. A couch structure, comprising:

a. a bag member;

13. mobile pellets contained therein;

c. the bag member including a mobile seat cushion portion and a mobileback cushion portion merging with the seat cushion portion, the bagmember increasing in thickness toward the juncture of the seat cushionportion and back cushion portion;

d. the pellets being responsive to body pressure of a person supportedon the bag member to shift the back cushion portion between anessentially horizontal position and an essentially vertical position;

e. the mobile back cushion portion including an extension formingcompartment open toward the mobile seat cushion portion;

f. a cushion block formed of foamed plastic laminations including anintermediate lamination having at least one speaker cavity therein, saidcushion block being disposed in the compartment, the bottom side of thecushion block being subject to force exerted by the pellets to tilt theextension and cushion block therein as a unit in response to shifting ofthe direction and area in which force is applied to the mobile seatcushion portion;

g. and a speaker mounted in the cavity.

1. A couch structure, comprising: a. a bag member including side wallsof greater dimension at their centrAl portions and lesser dimension attheir end portions, and a botton wall, back wall, end walls and top wallof essentially uniform width; b. mobile pellets contained in the bagmember; c. the bag member being dimensioned to receive a person thereon,and the mobile pellets being responsive to body pressure so as to permitthe upper surface of the bag member to conform to a person supportedthereon; d. a head rest extension formed by an end wall and adjacent endportions of the side walls, back wall and top wall of the bag member andforming a compartment exposed to the interior of the bag member; e. anda cushion block filling the compartment and presenting an end surfaceexposed to the mobile pellets whereby a varying direction of forceexerted by the pellets against the end surface of the cushion block dueto body movement on the bag member causes the head rest to tilt as aunit.
 2. A couch structure, as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. thecushion block is formed of foamed plastic material; b. and a pair ofspeakers are embedded therein at laterally portions of the centralportion of the cushion.
 3. A couch structure, comprising: a. a bagmember; b. mobile pellets contained therein; c. the bag member includinga mobile seat cushion portion and a mobile back cushion portion mergingwith the seat cushion portion, the bag member increasing in thicknesstoward the juncture of the seat cushion portion and back cushionportion; d. the pellets being responsive to body pressure of a personsupported on the bag member to shift the back cushion portion between anessentially horizontal position and an essentially vertical position; e.the mobile back cushion portion including an extension formingcompartment open toward the mobile seat cushion portion; f. a cushionblock formed of foamed plastic laminations including an intermediatelamination having at least one speaker cavity therein, said cushionblock being disposed in the compartment, the bottom side of the cushionblock being subject to force exerted by the pellets to tilt theextension and cushion block therein as a unit in response to shifting ofthe direction and area in which force is applied to the mobile seatcushion portion; g. and a speaker mounted in the cavity.